Emirates has accused Delta Air Lines of taking another cheap shot at the Gulf carriers after Delta announced it was cutting back on flights next winter on its Atlanta-Dubai route.
Delta blamed ‘overcapacity on US routes to the Middle East operated by government-owned and subsidised airlines,’ a charge Emirates has rejected.
In a statement, Emirates said Delta’s comment was ‘plainly a political play, or a thin excuse to prop up fares at a higher level by limiting capacity’.
"Delta has no head-to-head competition as they are the only airline to operate non-stop on this route," it said.
"Industry data shows that average seat loads on Atlanta-Dubai has been consistently more than 85%, which clearly indicates that consumer demand or overcapacity is not the issue," the Emirates statement added.
Delta will reduce its current daily service to four to five times a week during the winter, starting October 1.
The Big Three – Delta, American Airlines and United – have accused Gulf carriers – Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates – of pocketing billions of dollars in ‘unfair’ state subsidies.
The Gulf carriers themselves accuse the Big Three of benefiting from US subsidies in the form of tax breaks and bankruptcy protection following the 9/11 attacks.
